Bell Books

This title it's an outstanding book showing how data from petrogenetic, geochemical and fiel studies can be used to formulate and test petrogenetic hypotheses. This book covers such subjects related to igneous petrology as the concept of fractionation, chemical variation diagrams, phase diagrams, the experimental petrology of natural rocks, trace-element and isotope geochemestry, and petrography, all in relation with its methodology. The appendices cover rock nommenclature, major element composition and CIPW norms of important igneous rock types, norm calculations, and some representative mineral analyses. This title is full with diagrams and photographic illustrations that are an accompany to the text and are well integrated with it. This book brought a good help in the study of igneous petrology, and should be of serious interest to all students, tachers and researchers needing to understand this subject beyond an introductory level.

Vikki Bell successfully traces the historical origins of incest according those discourses which claim to know the truth about incest.By utilising a critical Foucauldian framework, she emphasises the shortfalls of feminist theoretical construction in the area, opening new challenges and spaces for further development. Bell utilises discourse analysis to demonstrate how different discourses have contributed to the concept of incest, how these have shaped the criminalisation of incest and how incest is problematised. This is an excellent piece of work where Foucauldian deconstructive techniques are juxtaposed with contemporary feminist thought, raising new dilemmas and challenges.

If you are thinking of trying astrophotography, this is an excellent place to start. Reeves covers the basics of using inexpensive webcams to produce great images with modest telescopes and the basics of using digital cameras (both DSLR and fixed lens) with or without a telescope. I have used a variety of his techniques and they work. For example, using a inexpensive Canon A60 to produce better moon photos than I could achieve in the old film days and taking constellation photos in less than 30 seconds with a DSLR on a tripod. If you follow the webcam instructions you will be amazed at the results. Reeves covers all the basics and covers them very well indeed.

Those were the days when no-name mathematicians wrote meticulous treatises on classical geometry with at least two or three proofs of every theorem, copious historical notes and quotations in original languages, and, to top it all off, no less than one thousand exercises (or "examples", as we like to call them). Simply wonderful. For those who deny themselves the pleasure of working through the whole book I will indicate here some particularly cute things. First, a synthetic proof of the invariance of the cross-ratio. As we all know, the sine proof is everywhere these days. I blame Courant & Robbins. One can also come across a messy proof based of Menelaus's theorem. Here now is a clean synthetic proof. Consider four rays OA, OB, OC, OD cut by a line ABCD. We wish to show that the cross-ratio (AB/CB)/(AD/CD) is the same for any other line cutting the four rays. Draw the parallel to OD through B, meeting OA in a and OC in b. Then AB/AD=aB/DO (ABa similar to ADO) and CD/CB=DO/Bb (bCB similar to OCD), so the cross-ratio (AB/CB)/(AD/CD)=AB*CD/AD*CB becomes aB/bB, which stays the same for any position of the line ab parallel to OD (ratio of distances is invariant under scaling), and the theorem follows. Now, a marvellous application of the cross-ratio is the proof of Pascal's theorem, and this of course leads us to polar theory, since we are itching to dualise Pascal to get Brianchon. The polished, modern way of doing this is by "linguistic dualisation" line<->point. The classical Desargues-Poncelet way is polar reciprocation with respect to a conic. But Brianchon was not familiar with polar theory so he essentially had to create the aspects of polar theory that he needed; we of course study his proof in full in the historical notes, apart from the two proofs already given in the text. The polar theory way of looking at the situation is the following. We start with Pascal's theorem, i.e. we have a hexagon inscribed in a conic. When we apply polar reciprocation, the conic goes to a conic because through any point off the conic there are two tangents to it, and they go to two collinear points on the new curve, so the new curve has degree two, so it is a conic. And the vertices of the hexagon, being points of the conic, goes to tangents to the new conic, and thus the hexagon goes to a circumscribed hexagon, and the sides of the original hexagon goes to the vertices of the new, and the line where extensions of opposite sides met goes to the point where lines connecting opposite vertices meet.

I liked this book, because it is such a great play!

Wonderfully written by Bonnie Farmer and delightfully illustrated by Anouk Perusse-Bell, Isaac's Dreamcatcher is a thoughtful and gentle picturebook story about a young boy who dreads naptime because of a monster in his dreams... but the kindly teacher Miss Louise draws upon her Native American heritage to fashion a "dreamcatcher" to filter out bad dreams and welcome in the good ones. An enjoyable read for young children, Isaac's Dreamcatcher is a truly excellent picturebook story for naptime or bedtime reading, alone or with a parent.

Few guidebooks I've ever seen pack the kind of power and true insight as this tour guide to Israel. Unlike most, which are simply divided by regions and/or towns, this colorful 367-page volume---packed with color plates and "tips" on how best to enjoy the country.

The contents are cross-referenced and indexed in many ways, by regional "areas of interest"(listing 11); key towns (6); holy sites (9); archaeological sites (8), "popular attractions (6); maps (14)---and also by transport, accommodations, places to eat, things to do, language---and alphabetically.

The articles surrounding all the attractions and highlights are as informative as the practical information about how and where to go and what to do.

For example, the discussion of Jerusalem begins with Theodor Herzl's reaction to the squalor he found in Jerusalem when he visited in 1898. Should the Jewish people ever reclaim their ancient capital, he wrote, "I would begin by... [tearing] down the filthy rat holes, burn all the non-sacred ruins, and put the bazaars elsewhere. Then, retaining as much of the old architectural style as possible, I would build an airy, comfortable, properly sewered, brand new city around the holy places."

Herzl proved prophetic, the authors note, and outside Jerusalem's Old City, the metropolis is "much more airy, comfortable and properly sewered---it is the fitting capital to the Jewish State that he envisioned."

The text is so rich and full of history, and so factual---and truthful---that this book puts many other guides of Israel to shame.

My only complaint is that my 2007 edition of this book came without the CD. Even so, the book is fantastic.

This book is a must read for anyone who is planning to be or is already married. Don't let the title fool you, it is not only for those with marital problems. Everyone's marriage can be enhanced by practicing these wonderful and practical nuggets of wisdom that can dynamically change your life and your marriage! I especially enjoyed the personal anecdotes at the end of each chapter, describing in a real life situation, the application of the principal taught.

Gives McSweeney's a run for thier money. I am now eagerly awaiting works from several of these contributers.

James, who crashed in the last story of Thomas the tank engine, settles down and becomes a very useful engine. He has 4 stories all to his self, James and the Top-hat, James and the Bootlace, Troublesome trucks and James and the Express. In the first story, he and Edward double head a passenger train in which James gets too excited for his own good at the big station and ruins Sir Topham Hatt's Top Hat. Then, he takes some coaches out after being given into trouble by Sir Topham Hatt, who threatens to take away his red coat and have him painted blue. He bangs the coaches so badly that he causes a leak in the pipe which is repaired by, of all things, a passenger's bootlace. He is sent to the shed in disgrace and left there to think about what he's done. But one day, Sir Topham Hatt comes to see him and tells him to pull some trucks for him and in the end keeps his red coat. In the last story, after being teased by Gordon, he pulls the Express and gives the big engine a showing up by proving that he is not the only engine who can pull the Express after all.